HandySoft Global Corporation BizFlow, Version 10 · HandySoft Global Corporation BizFlow, Version 10 ... BizFlow Version: 10 HandySoft Global Corporation 1952 Gallows Road, Suite

The 2005 BPM Suites ReportBPTrends

HandySoft Global Corporation BizFlow, Version 10

Copyright (c) 2005 Business Process Trends. www.bptrends.com

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BizFlow Version: 10

HandySoft Global Corporation 1952 Gallows Road, Suite 100, Vienna, VA 22182

Tel: (703) 442-5600 Fax: (703) 442-5650 Web: www.handysoft.com Email: [email protected]

1 Product Overview

BizFlow is a robust application framework for developing process aware applications. It provides a rich set of process semantics that allow the developer to configure easily a wide range of options, including mechanisms for controlling the flexibility for users in the process, how they route work to others for input, who has completion rights, etc. A lot of this sort of functionality would normally require additional coding in other products.

BizFlow 10 (released June 2005) provides additional depth and support on the Integration front, offering a distinct BizFlow Integration Server that sits alongside the core process engine for long-running transactions, sophisticated data translations, and SOA support. Rather than integrate the two areas of functionality tightly together, HandySoft decided to keep them separate to enable the BizFlow server to stay as “light” as possible. (The core BizFlow Process Engine still incorporates comprehensive integration facilities.) Complementing the BizFlow Integration Server is the new BizFlow Integration Studio (BIS), which models the sophisticated integration level processes and service orchestration; BIS also complements BizFlow Process Studio, he existing integrated process modeling environment, which was designed for Business Analysts and end-users.

BizFlow 10 also introduces better support for more granular change propagation features (when processes are changed in flight). The new version also enhances the collaborative process design and the deployment and mechanisms for support of a more effective global workforce (time zone support, etc.). It features an embedded interactive reporting tool that complements enhanced process related metrics such as Global Process Variables and Custom Attributes.

BizFlow can also be configured to respond to system level events that happen outside the system – for example, by initiating a process in response to the appearance of a new file, attaching the file to the process instance, and notifying the appropriate user.

But perhaps the most impressive feature in BizFlow is the highly flexible and configurable user interface. Called BizCoves, these customizable, portal-ready Web interface components provide access to all BizFlow functionality, such as work initiation and process participation, ad-hoc reporting, monitoring, system administration, etc.

Other BizFlow features of note include a scalable process engine that can be deployed on both Microsoft and Unix platforms in a mixed cluster. A wide variety of administrator tools are provided to allow administrators to manage the entire environment. With support for SSL encryption and Public Key Infrastructure (including digital signatures and certificates), the firm can contemplate extending collaboration beyond corporate firewalls at minimal risk. BizFlow also supports single sign-on technologies such as Microsoft’s Active Directory. Interestingly, the product provides integration options for MS Project by supporting project related work, sending alerts, and ensuring appropriate completion of work by participants. A Visio import facility is also provided. Access to BizFlow functionality and folders is managed through a set of inheritable privileges granted to users at the individual and group levels.




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2 BPM Engine

The BizFlow platform process engine drives work through the system, routing, monitoring, and escalating items according to the process models and rules established. The client layer includes a sophisticated set of User Interface components, Process Modeling and Forms Designer, and Administration facilities. BizFlow 10 introduces a separate BizFlow Integration Server (as part of the BizFlow Enterprise Edition), providing direct engine support for service orchestration and transaction management, data transformation, 2-phase commit, rollback, and exception handling. This is complemented by the BizFlow Integration Studio, which provides point and click features for developing services, modeling system-level transaction processes, and graphically mapping data transformation logic between services. For integration with IT resources, such as messaging, email, and database systems, BizFlow Professional Edition (without the Transaction Server) includes basic adapters (see the Integration section on page 9).

BizFlow 10Business Process Server

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Figure 1. BizFlow 10 will introduce a separate Integration Server to provide sophisticated EAI

capabilities and support long running transactions

The BizFlow Process Server is based on an n-tier architecture divided into 3 distinct layers: the Web-Server Layer, the BizFlow Server Layer, and the Database Layer. Each layer is scaleable, handling multiple processors or machines to match the load requirements. The BizFlow Server Layer contains its own transaction and integrity management mechanisms. Written in C++, the system is then exposed via Java, Microsoft COM, SOAP, and native C++ API interfaces. The core components are (See Figure 2)

• Process Engine – Creates process instances upon request, evaluates routing conditions, creates work items for each participant, completes work items upon requests, performs automated activities, such as sending emails, manipulating data in the database, interacting with 3rd party applications, creating messages into third party Messaging Oriented Middleware (MOM), getting messages from MOM, and so on.

• Request Dispatcher – Receives incoming requests to BizFlow; processrd synchronous requests (through interaction with the Process Engine and other components); and stores asynchronous requests into Queues.

• Scheduler – Manages all time-based events, such as checking on deadlines and invoking alerts.

• Queue Engine – Processes asynchronous requests. This is subtly different from the mechanism of the Message Adapter (See below). The Queue Engine allows interactions with other applications or services at the file level; for example, a newly create file initiates a new process.

• Authentication and Access Control – Validates user logins (either independently or against configured authentication servers); checks access permission on requested objects.




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• Form Engine – Provides centralized forms repository management, servicing forms (including rendering forms in HTML, processing server side scripting, data processing, and so on), and database connection pool management.

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Figure 2. The BizFlow Process Server Architecture

Complementing these core components are a number of adapters that support interaction with other applications and the file system:

• Event Response Adaptor – Observes configurable events, such as file arrival, email arrival, data changes, and queue message arrival; performs configured system actions, such as initiating new process instances, and completing a work items or wait activities.

• EJB and Web Service Adaptor – Retrieves a list of EJB/Web Services and their required parameters, calls the EJB/Web Service with values from process instances, and returns the results back to the corresponding instance.

• PKI Adaptor – Interacts with Entrust PKI server to support form data and attachment encryption and decryption.

• Message Adaptor – Interacts with Messaging Oriented Middleware (MOM), such as IBM WebSphere MQ and Microsoft MQ.

• Scripting Adaptor – Executes business rules written in Java.

• LDAP Adaptor – Imports users, user groups, and organizational structure information from LDAP into BizFlow Authentication, and updates the information periodically. It also performs authentication of a user against an LDAP server.

• Common EDMS interface is a publicly available tool kit for development of additional EDMS adaptors, consisting of around 20 base functions that utilize or store attachments in EDMS environments.




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At the level of the Web Application Server, the system provides support in three areas, as detailed below, underpinned by a Java API and the Base C++ API set.

• End User Interfaces - Servlets, Beans, and JSP-based web application for various types of work list presentationa for each user, process definition list, process instance list, and process archive list.

• BizCoves and Reports – Provide a portlet-like view of work list that meets a certain criteria. They are also portable into other portal environments. Reports include benchmark, statistics, and performance of processes and activities. Additional custom reports are supported.

• Administration interfaces – Servlets, Beans, and JSP-based web application for management of users, user groups, organizational structures, access controls, folders, licenses, server configurations, calendars, event observations, and so on.

• Database Layer - The Database server layer stores BizFlow process instance information and allows access by multiple BizFlow servers at the same time. It handles interaction with control data stored in the database and the file system.

With BizFlow 10, HandySoft has extended its Web Service support. Of course, Web Services can be used to integrate with some external application. Processes can also be published as a Web Service, and processes can consume other processes that have been published as Web Services. This enables flexible process architectures, independent of the usual mechanism for calling subprocesses. But the biggest change with BizFlow 10 is the ability to orchestrate Web Services into “transactions” using the BizFlow Integration Server. Transactions can be constructed to call multiple Web Services or Java, presenting them as a single atomic service to the rest of the Process Engine.

2.1 Platforms The BizFlow server supports multiple platform environments, including Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 2000 and NT4, AIX, HP-UX, and SUN Solaris. The BizFlow server layer may consist of a mix of these platforms. Further, no 3rd party Application Server is required to run the BizFlow server. Supported Web Servers are Apache Tomcat, BEA WebLogic, IBM WebSphere, and Sun ONE.

BizFlow utilizes file storage and relational database (supporting MS SQL Server 2000, Oracle 8i or 9i, or DB2 UDB 7.2) to store process-related data.

2.2 User Interface The Work Area, accessible upon user login through the single web-based user interface, enables participant access to work. Users can start processes, view reports, generate reports, view the status of executing processes, and configure user properties such as out-of-office dates and to whom work should be sent during absence.

BizCoves provide an alternative way to view information within the user interface. BizCoves consolidate the entire work area into a single point of access. BizCoves are containers that provide at-a-glance access to work items (and functionality to handle them), management and administrative tools, process monitoring capabilities, and reporting tools.

Completely web-based, BizCoves are highly configurable portal plug-ins (Portlets), providing both list and tabular views. They allow individuals to organize their work into categories that make sense to them – grouping work by case, time, priority, or whatever combination of items that meet the user’s needs. Although not yet JSR 168 compliant, this functionality will be in a future BizFlow 10 point release.

For example, a departmental UI might be set up so that reports are organized by project, and commonly accessed departmental processes are grouped together – for example, timesheets, expense reports, etc. A BizCove for a claims examiner might display claims assigned only to his or her office, with another




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BizCove used to display claims that can be processed by any office. At the end-user level, the portal display can be further customized through the use of filters to display only information that fulfills specified criteria such as, viewing only medical claims.

Figure 3. A typical BizCove user interface

There are a variety of BizCove types. These include BizCoves for process initiation, work lists, monitoring, and reporting. Any one or any combination of the BizCoves can be displayed in the BizCove Work Area, with each type serving a different purpose. BizCoves are easily integrated into existing Portal environments such as Microsoft Sharepoint, Hummingbird, or PlumTree.

Once a work item is opened up, the product launches a “Workitem Handler” to present the content. This is the main working environment for users to view and enter data, get instructions, complete a work item, make attachments and comments, and so on. BizFlow provides three different types of Workitem Handler. The Basic Workitem Handler is a pure web browser-based application with limited functionality. The Enhanced Work Item Handler is a feature-rich, downloadable application installed on client machines (similar to Adobe Reader). The Accessible Workitem Handler provides keyboard only navigation function for disabled people (508 Compliance).

Workitem Handlers usually present a number of Tabs, each related to a different application that is needed in order to complete the work item. The developer can set parameters to ensure that the user has actually viewed or completed these items before marking work as complete. Effectively, the Workitem Handler provides a mechanism to bind multiple applications to a single activity.

2.3 Scalability BizFlow has been designed to operate in a highly scalable environment to support very high volumes or transactions. Performance testing with regards to user transaction throughput has yielded results of over 60,000 transactions completed per hour, or 17 transactions per second with 10,000 simultaneous users.

The BizFlow databases allow for a clustered server environment to ensure maximum redundancy and fault tolerance. The Server can also be replicated and clustered in a hot stand-by situation. Of course, it is also possible to distribute the process logically to break up high volume transaction processing situations.

Failover features in a clustered BizFlow server environment ensure that processes remain operational – eliminating data corruption and reducing data loss – even if one or more servers is not operational. In a global deployment, with multiple clustered BizFlow environments, processes between sites can be




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configured to ensure integrity and automatically transfer operation to other servers, processes, or site locations in the event of a server failure. Clustered BizFlow server environments are supported through load balancers between any BizFlow server components. BizFlow also reliably handles network interruptions and other externally caused interruptions without data loss or corruption, with processes continuing to execute successfully once an environment is stabilized.

3 Processing Modeling

BizFlow Process Studio enables both business users and IT staff to create process models by dragging and dropping activity icons and transition arrows onto a palette. Using various property editors and dialogs, developers configure the various types of activity, participants, deadlines, transitions, notifications, delegation rules, timers, database accesses, routing, and branching logic, etc. BizFlow delivers this functionality without requiring programming skills on the part of the process designer.

Figure 4 The BizFlow Process Studio environment

Now, with BizFlow 10, the BizFlow Process Studio (built within Eclipse) incorporates a comprehensive collaborative design and deployment environment for project teams. While a web-based development client works well for small project teams or individuals, enterprise-level development teams need more functionality. HandySoft has returned to an interactive, feature-rich client for development, to better support the collaborative, project oriented approach to development and deployment, enabling enhanced control over how BPM projects are run. When setting up a new process development project, it is possible to assign a project manager, multiple designers, and a publisher. Check-in and Check-out control over objects associated with the project enforces configuration management policies. Once developed and everything is in a publishable state, then the publisher controls the deployment to the live environment. A Guest role allows other project teams to see components and forms under development (inside of the project). They can then copy these components into their own projects and modify them there (or reference the component inside the original project).

In addition to the Start and Stop activities, there are different kinds of steps in BizFlow to reflect the needs of the process: Normal (human interaction), Sub Process, Queue, Mail, Component (EJB-Web Service), Agent, Wait, SQL and Connector. Each activity type fulfills a distinct purpose.

Along with the usual routing options to user group or individual user, come automatic options to route the work item to the initiator of the process, the last participant of the preceding activity, and even the same as the preceding activity. Routing selection can also be made via process variable or through relationship rules based on user, initiator, or participant of the previous activity. The choice of rule




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includes manager of the selected participant, the manager of the manager of the selected participant, peer of the selected participant and organizational unit member with a specified job title. When assigning work to a user, the developer also has the option of having the engine select the most appropriate user based on current workload of members of the group.

There are a large number of other process nuances that are configured directly within the BizFlow Process Studio. These include options to create one for all the members of a specific group. The system can then be set to move on only after all participants have completed their work. Alternatively, it could be set to move on after just one has completed it.

As mentioned earlier, BizFlow further allows the import of MS Project files and Visio basic shapes, generating BizFlow process models from existing files. When importing a Visio file, BizFlow is consistent in the way the objects of the Visio diagram are converted to Process Designer components. All basic shapes are matched to activities. Arrows are converted to transitions (double arrows are converted to two transitions - one in each direction).

Direct integration with Microsoft Project enables BizFlow to more easily support project oriented working. A BizFlow process definition is rapidly built based upon an existing Microsoft Project plan. This can be at whatever level of detail that makes sense for the needs of the project. BizFlow then ensures that project deadlines are met as it automatically distributes tasks to the correct participants, sending alerts where appropriate to keep the project moving. It also allows the Project Manager to oversee the status of work in the entire project and ensure that critical tasks are properly handled.

Depending on the options used, the entire project or just parts of the Work Breakdown Structure can be imported. A Microsoft Project database option allows for the automatic update of status information from BizFlow when applicable activities and sub-processes are completed (or partially completed). This makes it possible for the Project Manager to continue using Microsoft Project for planning and reporting purposes.

Further, the system can be set up to create two BizFlow activities for each task in MS Project. One is assigned to the participant responsible for completing the work. The second is assigned to the Project Manager. Once the participant completes an activity, it goes to the Project Manager for approval. If needed, the Project Manager has an option to send the work item back to the team member.

BizFlow follows the WfMC’s standards for process modeling. Process models and logic are stored in Wf-XML and XPDL formats. BizFlow was recently one of 4 vendors to prove interoperability between Wf-XML 2.0 and the OASIS ASAP standard. Full BPMN support will be available next year including compensating transactions. We understand that support for BPEL is also planned over the next year in BizFlow Integration Studio.

3.1 Subprocesses The Subprocess activity type is used to call other process definitions. Any process on any accessible server can, theoretically, be called as a sub-process. When BizFlow calls a sub-process, it invokes the application together with its parameters using SOAP and Wf-XML as the connection protocols. Since BizFlow can publish and consume a process definition as a Web Service (using a component activity type instead of a sub-process activity), it is also possible to use Web Services to handle sub-processes.

Sub-processes can be called synchronously or and asynchronously – i.e. depending on how the process is called, the parent either continues on or waits for the sub-process to complete. Of course it is possible in the parent process to set up conditions upon which the sub-process is initiated.

3.2 Shared Data Space BizFlow supports a wide range of Global, definition, and instance level variables including a variety of arrays and applications – available types are String, Number, Participant, Application, Date, File, String




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Array, Number Array, Participant Array, Application Array, Date Array and File Array. Variables may be set to public (shared between parent/sub-processes and other processes) or private (internal to the process definition and not shared).

BizFlow 10 introduces a concept known as “Custom Attributes”. These are used for classification purposes but are not generally used directly within the process model. They are useful for collecting information about the process that might be used for audit or documentation. For example, assigning a cost centre, which could later be used to filter or search on later. This would allow a business manager to develop BizCoves that report or monitor by cost centre codes.

3.3 Forms BizFlow Forms Designer facilitates the creation of new electronic documents, providing features such as electronic signature fields, calculation and database fields, script libraries, HTML rendering, etc. Using the File variable type, it is possible use an XML file as a process variable. When that same file (schema) is mapped to a BizFlow Form, it populates the information from the XML file into the Form directly. BizFlow also supports Web forms in HTML, JSP, and applet format.

In a sense, BizCoves are forms that are designed to give users information on, and rapid access to, work in the system. They are designed to organize and simplify the way people work. BizCoves are developed using a wizard interface that walks the developer (or end-user) through the many different types and their options.

Figure 5. BizCoves are configured using a sophisticated set of wizards

BizFlow also supports existing electronic documents as attachments (e.g. Word, Excel, InfoPath, Adobe Acrobat or any other preferred format). These are accessed in their native format or via an optional viewer that provides annotation, zoom, print and multi-page support. Attachments are stored at either the file system level by BizFlow or via 3rd party EDMS environments such as Hummingbird, Documentum, and Microsoft SharePoint.

3.4 Time Activities in a BizFlow process have schedules set for waiting time, work time, and deadlines. Schedules can be set based on a fixed time period or time relative to a variable (or the initiation of the case). One of the relatively unusual (and useful) features of BizFlow is that it has mechanisms to drive deadlines and the escalation of work before critical events occur. When setting deadlines, the designer can specify




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the lead time for an activity. And that deadline might be dynamic based on some process variable. As a result, the Scheduler (in the core BizFlow Server Platform) can handle lead and lag notifications and dependencies. Configuring email notifications at certain events is straightforward. Notifications pull information from the SDS and customize the email for the case in hand.

In the BizFlow Process Studio tool, the Time Calculation function adds up the time defined for each activity to arrive at a total for the entire process definition. This allows the designer to quickly assess how much time the process or a part of the process requires.

3.5 Process Optimization and Simulation Process Analyzer (part of the BizFlow Process Studio) provides an easy-to-use environment for describing business conditions, working patterns, cost, revenue, workload balancing, instantiation patterns, work item characteristics, etc. The aim is to enable the analysis of processes to discover inefficiencies, test improvement strategies, set return on investment expectations, or change the way the firm does business. The tool offers customers the ability to customize “what-if” scenarios that consider specific policies, procedures, distributions, probability profiles, and so forth. However, the actual process model used for the simulation is not the same as the process model for BizFlow process engine.

With Process Simulator, companies can use actual management policy when evaluating their processes and attempting to make them more efficient. For example, a manager can test an improvement strategy that involves splitting and overlapping shifts, sharing resources with other departments over weekends, and only utilizing the most highly skilled supervisors to handle customers with 2 outstanding reviews.

Process Simulator also offers an optimization capability where the modeler states a business goal (e.g. maximize throughput volume per week), identifies constraints and variables (e.g. the number of resources is fixed, but their working hours are flexible). The optimization engine will then return the “best case” configuration to meet that goal (e.g. the best mix of resources to maximize throughput volume…for example, 15 people to handle peak volume Monday, 8 people + 2 stand-by personnel on slow-volume days).

4 Business Rules

BizFlow provides a point and click editor for creating transition/process flow rules (if-then-else type rules) and it also supports deadlines, time-based event rules and exception handling. Where necessary, access to a Java programming environment is available for very complicated business rules. If needed, the product is readily integrated with third party Rules Engine vendors such as Corticon and ILOG (via Web Services and EJB integration).

The semantics of the process activity itself are also readily extendible through business rules. Each activity has both “In and Out Conditions”. These conditions must evaluate to true before work can move on, or as it goes into the Work Item Handler. Effectively, this sets up another layer of business rules on the process.

5 Integration

In BizFlow 10, integration capabilities have been significantly enhanced with the addition of the BizFlow Transaction Process Server and the corresponding BizFlow Integration Studio modeling environment. These two components supplement the existing integration capabilities of the BizFlow Process Server (sold separately).

The goal for a user of BIS is to create a “Business Transaction”. Think of a business transaction as a system-to-system process flow containing services that perform units of work and exchange data, along with routing/flow logic (e.g. Do While, Loop, Repeat, etc.). Within the business transaction, a developer




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can define checkpoints for two-phase commit and rollback purposes, exception handling, scheduling and deadlines, and data transformation rules. At runtime, a business transaction can also be monitored similar to a business process within BizFlow.

Within the BIS, development follows a methodology similar to this:

• Data schemas to support the desired complex transaction are defined within XML Spy or other XML Schema data definition tool; these schemas are imported into BIS.

• Developers then create “data maps” through drag and drop GUI tools to define transformation rules between schemas.

• Developers create one or more services to handle the reception and delivery of messages within a transaction. A broad set of packaged functions are provided out of the box to support rapid service development including “listeners” for email, FTP, HTTP, UDDI and RosettaNet. BIS also provides packaged adapters for BizFlow, SAP R/3, and Web Service adapters to facilitate system integration.

• Once the data schemas, maps, and services are created, the developer orchestrates these components into a business transaction, complete with flow logic, exception handling, and monitoring capabilities.

• The business transaction is then available to be called from a higher-level business process defined within BizFlow Process Studio using a “component” activity. Data schemas from BIS are imported into BizFlow and mapped to process variables.

Figure 6. The BizFlow Integration Studio (BIS) incorporates visual mapping and configuration tools for the development of discrete business transactions

While this sort of sophisticated support will appeal to many large enterprises with significant systems integration issues, the services provided in the core BizFlow Business Process Server will be sufficient for less ambitious projects. A number of key adapter interfaces are provided within the product to facilitate integration of third party applications. As described in the BPM Engine Section on page 3, BizFlow provides an EJB-Web Service Adaptor, PKI Adaptor, Scripting Adaptor, and LDAP Adaptor.




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BizFlow supports the development of custom-built or vendor-provided native adapters for mainframe, legacy, and enterprise applications through the BizFlow “Agent” activity type.

The product also allows integration via a “Queue” activity type. An enterprise legacy system can then retrieve information from the queue, enabling integration at the information level across platforms and applications. The same mechanism can be used to reduce server congestion, increasing overall system efficiency and capacity through the use of multiple servers. The message queue managers that are supported include IBM MQ Series and Microsoft MQ.

For document management systems, functionality is provided for Hummingbird, Documentum, and Microsoft SharePoint. For other EDMS systems, an EDMS adapter development kit is available that contains code and documentation supporting custom development.

The Event Response Adaptor completes the picture, providing the capability to integrate virtually any other application at the file or data level: It observes configurable events, such as file arrival, email arrival, data changes, and queue message arrival, and performs configured system actions, such as initiating new process instances, and completing work items or wait activities.

A “Common API” exists at all 3 levels, delivering access to BizFlow functionality at each level. This API is wrapped with a Java Servlet Server to provide Java-based access to the Common API.

6 Organizational Structure

Out of the box, BizFlow imports any existing LDAP directory information to reflect the structure of the organization. Effectively, this information represents the business units or departmental structure of the firm, each with its employees, management, and the reporting relationships. Separately, BizFlow supports any number of additional hierarchical structures and stand-alone groups (roles). Administrators can then assign individuals and groups to those hierarchies. As a result, it becomes possible to represent just about any organizational form or matrix reporting structure across the firm.

Using these mechanisms, process designers can route work to the relevant user whether that be an organization unit, user group, individual user, or even a system. Moreover, they can easily configure the process to determine dynamically a person’s manager or peer, and route work to them automatically. Since processes are linked to a default hierarchy, subprocesses can maintain separate routing rules from the parent process.

BizFlow is configured with six default “authority groups”: System Administrator, General Administrator, Designer, Business Administrator, User, and Limited User. The system administrator can then create new authority groups, and modify the access permission associated with them. Any additions and modifications that are made to authority groups are reflected immediately in the Authentication Manager. Changes to access rights are reflected immediately in the Folder Access Manager.

With BizFlow 10, HandySoft has introduced a number of additional features to support the global work force, including shared calendars, support for different time zones, working periods, and national holidays. The product can also synchronize with multiple LDAP Directories simultaneously.

7 Process Adaptability

BizFlow supports real-time monitoring and dynamic alteration of process instances. When a process is instantiated, the process definition is copied and associated with the new process instance. These definitions are stored using the WfMC XPDL interoperability standard.

As a result of this approach, suitably authorized users can change a running instance without affecting others. In BizFlow 10, HandySoft has implemented support for change propagation; having made changes to an instance, a user can then selectively go through and apply that change to other instances




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that are based on that same definition. This change propagation feature is unique in the market place (at least compared with the other products we have reviewed for this report).

With the flexibility of the BizCove user interface and process variables, it becomes relatively straightforward to construct a case handling environment. With a case handling approach, the focus of activity is on the overall case of work, with any number of processes instantiated to support the needs of the work in hand. It is also possible to take a subtly different approach where a single process coordinates the process, with viable subprocesses populated dynamically into an array for later instantiation.

BizFlow also supports ad-hoc work routing, with a series of associated rules for returning ad-hoc routed work back into the normal flow cycle. Ad hoc routing lets the user designate someone else to handle the work item. Alternatively, the work item could be routed to different users for input or review (in parallel, or serially) prior to the work moving on to the next activity in the process definition. In the Workitem Handler, the original user can define the options and rules that must be followed, even down to ensuring that the work comes back through the original user before it is marked as complete. Ad hoc routing can be enabled by default for all normal activities in a process.

8 Process Lifecycle

With BizFlow 10, HandySoft has focused on the needs of the BPM project team. The publication and deployment of the set of process definitions and models is controlled by a publisher role in the project team. Alongside that is the control over process definitions themselves through the associated document management features of the product. To modify an existing process, qualified users must “check out” the underlying model. When it comes to checking back in the process description, if the change is to a process model that has instances running in the system, then the change propagation feature allows the user to control the process instances where the changes will apply (discussed under the Process Adaptability section).

9 Monitoring, Measurement, and Management Information

BizFlow provides visual monitoring and management capabilities for work in the system. Suitably authorized users can click on a process and discover its status through a graphical view, drilling down into specific details around activities to view history information (e.g., who approved a decision or what information was added).

Process Monitoring is also supported via reporting within the BizCove user interface framework. Out of the box, BizFlow supports benchmarking, status, workload, throughput trend analysis, and ad-hoc reporting capabilities – supporting diverse information needs from executive level reporting to technical support troubleshooting. These report categories provide point-and-click report generation wizards that produce adaptable ad-hoc, graphical, and data export capabilities through the web browser. At runtime, this information can also be exported to Microsoft Excel.

In BizFlow 10, developers and end-users can build, for a group of users, a report list that specifies the reports that can be invoked directly from within a BizCove. While all data is stored in the BizFlow database, it is accessed via and displayed via Crystal Reports, allowing the user to drill down into underlying information detail. Further, users can now aggregate process data across all processes that share a common process definition.




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Figure 7. The Graphical Monitoring environment within a BizCove

Using these sorts of features, managers can closely monitor current work in the system. With care, virtually any sort of performance measure can be captured and presented. Where relevant, active alerts linked to process models can warn of looming deadlines before they are passed. Most other BPM products struggle to support this sort of lead-time functionality.

10 Templates and Frameworks

The core BizFlow product is used as the foundation for the following associated products:

• HandySoft’s SOXA Accelerator solution for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and enterprise risk management. The SOXA Accelerator automates data collection with secure, easy-to-use forms, supporting collaboration between project participants throughout the enterprise and with auditors.

• HandySoft’s Accounts Payable Accelerator application automates AP tasks, reducing errors and expense, and providing the reports and data needed to ensure quality performance.

BizFlow also provides a wide variety of starter templates for Government, Finance, and HR applications. These include over 40 government forms, Correspondence Management and Tracking, Sales Order Management, Product Fulfillment, Travel and Expense, Procurement, Capital Acquisitions, Accounts Receivables, New Hire, Engineering Change Management, and Benefits. In the Insurance/Financial Services arena, applications are available for Worker’s Compensation, Agenda Development, New Business (Life), Annuity New Business (Life), Default Loan Management, Mortgage (loans) processing, and Tax Management.




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11 Vendor

HandySoft Korea was founded in 1991. It is a publicly traded Korean company with around $40m in revenue and 230 employees. HandySoft Global is a pure-play BPM company established in 1998 and is incorporated in the state of Virginia and now has over 100 employees in development, sales, and marketing. HandySoft Global was formed by HandySoft Korea to take existing intellectual property from years of workflow experience and create a world class BPM product known as BizFlow. BizFlow is sold by HandySoft Global and over 50 approved distributors worldwide with 250 customers in over 20 countries. A little over half of the group revenue is attributed to BizFlow.

12 Cost

HandySoft uses an Enterprise License model. The standard licensing price is based on the number of seats, and can vary greatly from customer to customer. There are additional charges for integration adapters. The average sale is around $150,000.

BizFlow Standard Edition ($85,000) is HandySoft’s minimum purchase base package, comprising 100 Named User Licenses, 2 Administrator Licenses, 3 BizFlow Process Studio Designer Licenses (Standard), and standard maintenance for the first year.

BizFlow Advanced Edition Package ($150,000) includes the BizFlow Integration Server on top of the Standard Edition components.

BizFlow Evaluation Edition ($25,000) provides a 12-month (non-renewable) limited license and limited maintenance agreement for evaluation purposes. It includes 20 Named User Licenses, 1 Administrator License, and 1 BizFlow Process Studio Designer Licenses (Standard), along with a first year maintenance agreement (no upgrades).




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HandySoft Global Corporation: BizFlow, Version 10

Overview Highly configurable BizCove user interface; BPM project support; comprehensive EAI facilities; extended process semantics for routing; sophisticated mechanisms to control ad hoc working

BPM Engine Two complementary Engines – the BizFlow Business Process Server and EAI focused BizFlow Transaction Process Server (sold separately)

Platforms Windows Server 2003, 2000 and NT4, AIX, HP-UX, and SUN Solaris; Apache Tomcat, BEA WebLogic, IBM WebSphere, and Sun ONE; SQL Server 2000, Oracle 8i or 9i, or DB2 UDB 7.2

User Interface BizCove portlets deliver great flexibility at the user level. Workitem Handler allows multiple applications to be delivered in a coherent fashion.

Scalability 60,000 transactions completed per hour with 10,000 simultaneous users; clustered and replicated servers

Processing Modeling BizFlow Process Studio (general user) and BizFlow Integration Studio (IT developer); collaborative project development and deployment environment; Visio and MS Project integration

Subprocesses Any process potentially called as a subprocess; called synchronously or asynchronously; SOAP & WF-XML (potentially use Web Services for same thing)

Shared Data Space Wide variety of variable types, including several types of arrays; private/public settings to control sharing between parent & subprocesses; Custom Attributes for grouping cases (allowing later monitoring); EDMS support

Forms Integrated Forms environment; support for third party forms (web forms in HTML, JSP, and applets as well as Adobe Forms, MS Word, and Excel)

Time Lead and Lag alerts (and dependencies); Alerts & Escalation; Time Calculation

Simulation Integrated simulation tool; export from BizFlow process models; Resource attributes reloaded from supplemental data

Business Rules Point & click development of constraint rules; integration with ILOG & Corticon if needed; Pre & Post conditions on activities

Integration Sophisticated EAI style integration environment; choreographs business transactions; variety of adapters for most classes of application; message queue facilities; API set

Organizational Structure LDAP import; synchronizes with multiple LDAP Directories simultaneously; multi-dimensional hierarchies

Process Adaptability Change to running cases if needed; change propagation; case handling; sophisticated ad hoc capabilities with extensions

Process Lifecycle Project support; publisher role; Check In-Check Out models; change propagation

Monitoring & Measurement

Graphical Process Monitoring; aggregation of variables across cases; BizCoves provide variety of reporting styles and mechanisms.

Templates & Frameworks

SOXA & Accounts Payable Accelerators; wide variety of process templates for Government, Insurance/Financial Services, Commercial Finance and HR

Vendor Korean publicly quoted parent; US based BPM oriented company; 100+ employees

Cost Enterprise License model; average software cost $150K; 100 users $85K (150K including the BizFlow Integration Server); Evaluation license at $25K

Documents

HandySoft Global Corporation BizFlow, Version 10 · HandySoft Global Corporation BizFlow, Version 10 ... BizFlow Version: 10 HandySoft Global Corporation 1952 Gallows Road, Suite